Welcome to the online diary of a Central Oregon Grandmother (me) who is busy celebrating the positive portions of her everyday life ... along with her best friend husband (Cary). It is quite an eclectic diary and I try to do my best to incorporate a little bit of history into many of my posts. Your visit to our piece of American Pie is greatly appreciated. This chatty Kathy posts frequently, so coming back to visit often is highly encouraged.

Showing you Oregon,one post at a time. Did you know that I post the links of many of my stories and articles on the sidebar? When you have extra time, please scroll down to see more. At the bottom of this page there are links to many other blogs that I enjoy.

Hello, friends, thank you so much for stopping by. I really hope that you will enjoy your visit to Oregon Gifts. Due to spam, I am not accepting comments from anonymous people. Please email me at: oregongiftsofcomfortandjoy@hotmail.com if you are unable to leave a comment on here. I write back through email when I can.

My words and photographs are copyrighted, and may not be used without permission, even on Pinterest.

~ Kathy M.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Taking the Long Way Home Part 2: North Fork of the Willamette, Oakridge, Greenwaters Park and Diamond Peak

After crossing the bridge, I turned right. If I had of turned left, I would have gone to Westfir and seen another covered bridge. However, I was still on my way home so that adventure will need to wait for another time. Oh, my gosh, did I score some beautiful pictures there! Dang, I think I need to make some postcards.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

A bit of spiritual activity on this one. I did say, come on you guys, I know you are here. Let me take your picture. So they did.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I returned to HWY 58 and turned to the left. Within a minute I arrived in Oakridge. I drove through town until I got to Ray's Food Place and turned left at the light. You may not realize it, but there is a whole other part of Oakridge that you don't see from the highway. Another little downtown area up in the hills, that people are fixing up.

The Oakridge Hostel and Brewers Union Local 180:

There is even the beautiful Oakridge Hostel where you can stay for prices beginning at $35.00 per night, with breakfast. It seems that Oakridge is now a destination point for mountain bikers from all over, and you and your bike can catch a bus from the Eugene bus system (LTD) all the way to Oakridge.

Recently some of my old friends, Ted and Patti Sobel, renovated this old building and turned it into a brewery and pub that looks much like a McMenamins from the outside. I got there too early in the morning and they were still closed. I hope that Cary and I will be back that way soon and stop in for a visit to say hello and taste their wares. Here is their link: Brewers Union Local 180. They have a blog too: Brewers Union Blog.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I left that part of town by turning right onto Hills Street, crossing over the railroad tracks and ending up back on Highway 58. Turning left toward the pass, I stopped at Greenwaters Park. If you just need a quick bathroom break, there is a regular rest area nearby, but I enjoy going into the park itself when there is time. It is one of my favorite parks ever. Greenwaters Park is the home of the Lost Wagon Train of 1853 and the Hills Family Cabin. This park is a wonderful place for a picnic; there is fishing, wading, hiking, a playground, and lots of history. I love it when people work so hard over generations to make things beautiful for others. Here is a link to more photos I took a while back of Greenwaters Park.

Greenwaters Park:

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

After leaving the park I headed home. Cary was wondering where in the heck I was. I made one last little photo shoot at the Diamond Peak observation point. It is kind of funny to think of from this view, but there is a parallel highway to the one that I was on, except that it runs by Diamond Peak. It is Highway 38, and it takes you to Roseburg from Highway 97. FYI: My cell phone actually got a signal here.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I sure had fun on my way home as I meandered along, listening to Jimmy Buffet, and thinking about my Eugene family. I came home with a lot of neat pictures and some good nearby travel plans for next summer when I get to go camping with my best friend husband Cary.

Contact Info:

There are a lot of photos and other graphics on here, so it may take a while to load if you have a slower internet connection. I really appreciate the fact that some of you wait patiently to see what I have posted. Thank you to all my readers! Please leave a comment or send me an email at: oregongiftsofcomfortandjoy@hotmail.com

About Me:

Welcome to "Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy" My name is Kathy Matthews and I live in Central Oregon with my best friend husband, Cary. I am a fifth generation Oregonian who loves to take pictures, write, create, and go places with Cary. My main blog, Oregon Gifts, is an online journal, where I try my best to celebrate the positive portions of everyday life. My other blogs are off-shoots into my particular interest areas. Please enjoy your visit, and leave a comment if you feel led. If you would like to email me, here is my email address: oregongiftsofcomfortandjoy@
hotmail.com
Thank you!

"Celebrating the Positive Portions of Everyday Life."

Most of the photos on these websites were taken by me. Others are from my friends and family's FB pages. Enjoy them, but please do not claim them as your own or use/copy them. Thanks! All rights reserved on the contents of this website. Created by Kathy Matthews of Central Oregon, November 2008.